Food Industry

What with all the vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians around, you might be surprised to learn that we now consume more animal protein than ever: 200 pounds per person in 2000, up some 40 pounds since the backyard barbecues of the 1950s. But no longer do we gorge on porterhouses, racks of lamb, pork roasts or spareribs. Today, much of the animal protein we eat has been stripped from the bone, doctored with chemicals and reformed into breakfast patties, lunch nuggets and microwaveable entrees. Most people would attribute this shift to our squeamishness about slaughtering, butchering and preparing meat, and to our puerile taste buds. But consumer preferences are not what led supermarkets...

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